Electrical-fixture-supporting device



May 5, 1925.

R. B. BENJAMIN I ELECTRICAL FIXTURE SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed July 1, 1921 I u 1 I I 1 1 a Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN IB. BENJAMIN, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELEGTRIOALFIXTUBE-SUPPORTING DEVICE.

Application filed July 1,

To all who m 2t may concern:

' Be it known thatI, IREUBENVB. BENJA MIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrical-Fixture,-Supporting Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

lVly invention relates to electrical fixture supporting devices and connections therefor. One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved fixture supporting device in which the fixture can be readily conin construction, cheap to manufacture, and

durable-and etficient in use.

In the drawings in which an embodiment of my,-iari7ention is shown- Figure 1 is a vertical axial section show ing a fixture, a receptacle and means for electrically and mechanically connecting the fixture: with respect to the receptacle;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the 7 connecting bracket and plug-in device; and

spect to the receptacle' Fig, 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

The construction shown in the drawings comprises a fixture 10, a receptacle 11, a

canopy 12 on. which the fixturestem is mounted, and'means 13 for electrically and mechanically connecting'the fixture with re- The means 13 for electrically and mechanically connecting the fixture with re spect to the receptacle comprise in addition to the cano y 12, a supporting member 14,

on which tie receptacle 11 is mounted, a.

bracket 15 provided with meanswhereby it may be mechanically attached and detached with respect to the supporting member 14,

r a plug-in device 16 slidably mounted with 1921. Serial No.-481,735.

respectfto the bracket 15, for electrically connecting the fixture 10 with the receptacle 11 and means 17 formechanically connecting the fixture supporting canopy 12 with the connecting bracket 15. r

The connection between the fixture supporting canopy 1 2, and the bracket 15, is efi'ected after the bracket 15 has been connected in position on the supporting member 14.

The means 17 for connecting the canopy,

12 with the bracket 15 are so constructed that in making the connection the canopy 1.2 is moved obliquely inwardly and downwardly from the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 to the full line position to bring the peripheral edge 18 of the canopy into engagement with the supporting surface 19. The edge ofthe canopy is thus brought firmlj into engagement with the supporting surface to afford a firm support for the canopy and fixture, but there is no scraping of the canopy along the supporting surface 19,- as would be the case if the connection .were such that the canopy had to be first shoved inwardly against the supporting surface 19, and then moved downwardly to effeet the connection.

By the present construction, a firm connection is etfected, and at the same time means are provided to prevent marring the wall or other supporting surface by scraping the canopy, along the surface.

The means 17 by which the connection between the canopy 12 andthe bracket 15 is effected, comprises two pairs of spaced slanting jaws, one pair being at the upper end of the bracket, andthe other pair being at the lower end of. the bracket, between which jaws are received two transversely extending straps 20 and 21, respectively,

secured to the canopy 12. The upper pair of jaws comprises an inclined jaw 22, formed integral with the bracket 15, and a spring.,pressed jaw member 23, formed -as an integral part of the sheet metal clamping member 24. The lower pair of jaws comprise a fixed jaw 25, formed as an integral part of the bracket 15, and a spring pressed clamping jaw member 26, formed as an integral part of the clamping member 24.. The clamping member 24 may be a sheet metal stamping, with the jaws 22 and 24 formed integral therewith. The jaw members 23 and 26 are yieldingly urged against the jaws 22 and 25, by means of upper and lower coil compression springs 27 and 28, which surround the pins 29 and 30 respectively, and bear on the heads 31 and 32 thereof, as shown in Fig. 3.

In order to facilitate the entrance between thejaws of the transversely extending straps and 21, the lips of the jaw members 23 and 26 are bent outwardly, as indicated at 33, and the jaw members 22 and are also made to diverge from the jaw members 23 and 26, at the entrance portion. This makes it easy to insert the strap members 20 and 21 in connecting the canopy with the bracket 15.

The bracket 15 is connected with the supporting member 14 by a movement of the bracket 15 toward the receptacle 11, and

then downwardly with respect thereto, to

engage the hook members 34 on the bracket with the edges of openings in the supporting member 14. In order to permit this movement inwardly and downwardly of the bracket 15, without interference because of the engagement of the plug-in device 16 with the receptacle 11, the plug-in device 16 is mounted for sliding movement with respect to the bracket 15. This sliding en gagement iseftected by mounting the insulating base 35 of the plug-in-device between the vertical cheek-pieces 36 of the bracket 15, and by bending the retaining lugs 37 over the insulating base 35, to hold the insulating base 35 in position between the cheek-pieces 36. The retaininglugs 37 are far enough apart so that a limited sliding movement of the insulating base 35 on the supporting bracket 15 is permitted. The insulating base 35 is held in place be tween the body portion of the bracket and the lugs 37, and is held against lateral'movement by the cheek-pieces 36.

In order to holdthe bracket 15 in connected position, a coil compression spring 38 is provided, acting between the insulating base 35 of the plug-in device, and a lug 39 formed integral with the bracket 15. When the plug-in device is inserted into the receptacle 11, the blades 40 of the plug-in device are held against upward movement by their engagement with the receptacle, and as the compression spring 38 acts between the plug-in device 16 and the bracket 15 to force the bracket downwardly, the bracket itself is held against upward move-' ment, and hence is held in connected position. To free the bracket from engage- -ment with the supporting device 14, the

bracket has to be moved upwardly against the pressure of the spring38 until the'hook members 34 are free from engagement'withthe supporting member 14., when the bracket can be pulled outwardly, and thus disconnected. Of course, the canopy 12 has to be disconnected from 'the'bracket 15before the receptacle 11, and the canopy 12 and its supporting fixture 1O vare then connected with the bracket 15 as hereinbefore described, by engaging the transversely extending straps 20 and 21 between the upper and lower pairs" of jaws, and shoving the canopy and fixture obliquely inwardly and downwardly until the peripheral edge 18 of the canopy engagesv the supporting surface 19. Because of the oblique movement of the canopy with respect to the supporting surface 19, there is no dragging or scrap ing the edge of the canopy along the wall, and hence there is no marring of the surface.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1.; The combination with a fixture, and a canopy, of means for mechanically connecting said fixture with respect to a receptacle, comprising a bracket, said bracket and canopy being provided with interengaging means whereby said canopy may be guided in a definite path into engagement with a supporting surface by an oblique movement inwardly and downwardl whereby the edge of said conopy will firmly engage the supporting surface without scraping over it, said interengaging means comprising opposed spring pressed jaws, and a member held between said jaws.

2. The combination with a fixture, and a canopy, of means for mechanically connecting said fixture with respect to a receptacle, comprising a bracket said bracket and canopy being provided with interengaging ,means whereby said canopy may be guided in a definitepath .into engagement with a supporting surface by an oblique movement inwardly and downwardly, whereby the edge otsaid canopy will firmly engage the supporting surface without scraping over it, said interengaging ineans comprising a jaw on said bracket, a spring pressed jaw in cooperation with said first jaw, and a member held between said jaws.

3. The combination with a canopy, 0 means for mechanically connecting said canopy with respect to a receptacle comprising a. bracket, said bracket and canopy being provided with interengaging means whereby said canopy will be, guided into engagement with a supporting surface by a movement of translation inwardly whereby the edge of said canopy will firmly engage the supporting'surface without scraping over it, said interengaging means comprising guiding means, both above and below the bracket.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of circuit devices which maasaa are permanently wired in place in a wall, removable circuit devices which cooperate therewith to establish an electrical circuit, a removable canopy which covers the devices and is normally seated on the wall,-means for holding the canopy in its normal position, and means active during the positioning of the canopy to prevent the edges of the same from injuring the surface of the wall as it is being moved to its seat. k 5. In a device of the character described,

the combination of circuit devices which are permanently wired in place, in a wall, removable circuit devices which cooperate theren'ih to establish an electrical circuit, a

remoable canopy which covers the devices and is normally seated on the wall, resilient means which tend to move the canopy into contact with the wall, and other means which act in opposition to said resilient means and hold the canopy away from the wall as it is being moved into register with its seat.

6. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a permanently installed outlet box, a slotted cover plate therefor, a receptacle mounted on the-rear of the plate, a metallic member which is carried by the plate through hooks which enter the slots therein, an attachment plug carried by the member, a canopy, means carried by the member for holding the canopy, and means for pressing the canopy outward away from the wall as it is being moved into register with its seat. 7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a metallic member having supporting means, a holder for a removable canopy carried by the member, and means also carried by the member for pressing a canopy support outwardly and against the holder as the canopy is beingmoved to its seat.

lin witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. 

